‘Stokes needs lifestyle change’

MUMBAI: Ben Stokes, who has repeatedly fallen on the wrong side of law because of his poor behaviour, needs a change in lifestyle, said for former England cricket skipper Michael Vaughan.

“Ben Stokes can’t say he was not warned. I have been privy to private conversations about him recently and he has been given strong warnings about his lifestyle,” wrote Vaughan.

“People have said to him there is only one person who can ruin your career and that is you. Nobody else. He has the talent, plays all three formats relatively easily. Has the world at his feet,” the former skipper said.

Stokes reportedly had a scan after injuring his right hand in the nightclub bust up. A broken hand could put him out for at least 12 weeks.

“I am not saying be teetotal or not have a flutter at the casino. He needs a way to let off steam and live a life,” wrote Vaughan.

According to Michael Atherton, Stokes would do a lot better if he draws inspiration from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

Atherton wrote in The Australian newspaper, “If, in the lonely hours of Monday morning, Ben Stokes was thinking about role models, and how he might venture to conduct himself in future given that he is England’s most high-profile cricketer and the Test vice-captain, he could have done worse than think of Ricky Ponting.”

Ponting, one of Australia’s most successful captains, had a troubled start to his career with two separate incidents — at clubs in Sydney as well as Kolkata — left a dent on his fledgling career.